free!
VOLUME 52, ISSUES 1 + 2 + 3 / SUMMER 2017 / COMMUNITY-OWNED SINCE 1971
Bearing Fruit
The Food Conspiracy Board of Directors meets the first Wednesday of the month, 6:30–8:30 p.m., at the Hoff Building, 425 E. Seventh Street. A light dinner served at 6 p.m. Co-op owners are welcome. (note: no meeting in July)
From the Back of the Editor’s Mind: Kelly Watters, Conspiracy News Editor
Summer solstice marks the beginning of long hot summer months in the Sonoran Desert. June cheerfully brings the saguaro fruit harvest. We have these giants to thank for their deep purple pulpy fruits filled with nutty tasting seeds. Food Conspiracy strives to give you lots of reasons to celebrate our desert monsoon season’s yield of tomatoes, melons of many varieties, garlic, fruit, and squashes. Love LOCAL at Your Co-op (formally the Eat Local Challenge) will offer savings on all Co-op prepared foods (so you don’t have to turn on your oven), as well as all local produce, grocery, and wellness products. We are also planning some some fun, informative, and bikeable/walkable tours of local vendors (see store for more details). This summer we’ve set up gift card deals as a benefit of Co-op ownership, and Owner Days will take place one weekend each month. During our June Owner Days, owners saved a total of $2,500 in a single weekend! We also have great sales for all shoppers: from Love LOCAL at Your Co-op, Frozen Foods Frenzy, Back to School, and Bulk is Beautiful (see ads and postcard insert for more details).
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Food Conspiracy Cooperative 412 N. 4th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705 tel: 520-624-4821 fax: 520-792-2703 email: newsletter@foodconspiracy.coop website: www.foodconspiracy.coop
Conspiracy News
Store Hours Open Daily 7 a.m.–10 p.m.
editor: Kelly Watters contributors: Michael DeSantis, Justine Hernandez, Eric Lauterbach-Colby, Kim Kanoa Duffek, Kelly Watters, Debbie Weingarten, Cameron Jones, Jason Outenreath, Vanessa Zuber, Lisa Dean, Kate Stern, Laura Klass, Kevin Hendricks, and Andrea Buttrick. Next Deadline: September 1
Co-op Management Team Interim General Manager: Eric Lauterbach-Colby Finance: James Carpenter Outreach: Kelly Watters Front End: Vannessa Leibhauser POS: Cynthia Taylor Kitchen: Todd Stadtlander Interim Grocery: Sarah Schwob Produce: Todd Stadtlander
Board of Directors Michael DeSantis, President Gontran Zepeda, Vice President David Miller, Treasurer Rob McLane, Secretary Guru Das Bock Kevin Hendricks Fiore Iannacone Laura Klass Susan Silverman
Questions? Comments? You can reach the board at board@foodconspiracy.coop
We hope you enjoy reading An Antigone Book Review, featuring Local Classics. This new contribution from our friends at Antigone will rotate between Local Classics, Local Writers on the Rise, Local New Releases, and Local Best-Sellers. Since Tucson is abloom with authors we are excited to highlight what they have to offer and consume it. Even though it seems light years away, back to school season will be here soon! In preparation, we have collections for Box Tops for Education and a 20% off Back to School Sale. We are also serving as a drop-off site for Youth On Their Own Back to School Challenge. Stay cool, Cooperators!
SUPPORT SCHOOLS WITH BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION Since 1996, Box Tops has helped local schools earn over $800 million for all sorts
of things: helping build playgrounds, installing computer labs, and funding field trips and other programs that enrich school communities. Box Tops are featured on some of your favorite natural and organic brands including Food Should Taste Good Chips, Larabar, and Cascadian Farm. Join the Co-op in helping schools earn cash, by clipping Box Tops! From August 16 to August 29, visit the Co-op to find specially marked packages stickered with TWO BONUS Box Tops! You’ll find many of your favorite Annie’s & Cascadian Farm products on sale too! The first 200 shoppers can take home a Box Tops Collection Bin, to easily collect your Box Tops at home. We are collecting Box Tops in store off of qualifying office supplies we purchase as well! Join us! Clip and keep your Box Tops and help support your local schools! To learn more about participating schools and the projects they seeking they are funding for, visit www.boxtops4education.com Each box top is worth 10 cents to redeeming school when clipped from Box Tops products and sent to the redeeming school. Only BTFE registered schools can redeem Box Tops. Limit $20,000 per school per year for Box Tops redeemed through the clip program.*Source: Annie’s Box Tops Study, May 2015
YOUTH ON THEIR OWN
BACK TO SCHOOL CHALLENGE Food Conspiracy is partnering with Youth On Their Own to collect donations of high-demand items for 1,000+ students YOTO hopes to enroll by September. The drive is July 1 to October 1. • • • • • •
adult-sized backpacks • highlighters • colored pencils • markers • scientific/graphing calculators mechanical pencils •
flash drives folders composition notebooks $10 or $25 gift cards to grocery/clothing stores index cards
All Antigone Books purchases donated to the YOTO Back to School Challenge will be 10% off.
Conspiracy Classes & Events Registration for classes must be purchased 24 hours prior to the start of the class. Registration purchases can be made in the store or online at www. foodconspiracy.coop/events *Indicates the class or event will be held in the Hoff Building, 425 E. 7th St.
*Yoga Hour at the Co-op. No Yoga Hour and meditation this summer. Regular Yoga hours will resume Tuesdays in September. *Board of Directors Meetings No Board meeting in July. Next Board meeting is Wednesday, August 2 • 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. All owners welcome. Stay involved in Co-op decision making and accrue time towards a Co-op discount for your attendance (owners receive two 5% discount coupons per account for a one-time shopping trip that month). A light dinner is served at 6:00 p.m. Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Owner Days of Summer Friday. July 7 - Sunday, July 9 All Food Conspiracy owners receive 10% off. Maximum discount is 10%. Does not include special orders, gift cards or classes (see store or see ad on page 7 for details). Love LOCAL Supporting Local has never been easier at the Co-op! July 1 - 14th all Conspiracy Kitchen, local produce, local grocery & wellness products made or grown within 200 miles of the Co-op are 20% and 10% off resectively for everyone. See page 5 or store for all details & events. Nutrition 101: Hydration with Robin Schuett-Hames, NTP Wednesday, July 12 • 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Do you often feel tired and over-heated with head or other body aches? You may be drying up! Most of us are walking around with varying levels of chronic dehydration, affecting us from skin to bone. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as simple as just drinking more water. Come learn how to re-hydrate by balancing water with mineral intake, and sourcing non-contaminated drinking water. We will make a healthy alternative to sugary sports drinks. Class will be limited to 20 participants. Cost: $10 How It’s Made: Tour of Isabella’s Ice Cream Thursday, July 13 • 7:00 p.m. Take a visit down to Isabella’s Ice Cream to see the notorius electric ice cream truck, get an insider tour of the shop and how ice cream is made and of course your trip includes a medium or small ice cream and a taste of other cold treats made right at Isabella’s. Cost: $8 New Owner Orientation Saturday, August 5 • 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Welcome new owners! We’d like to invite you to learn how you can get the most out of your investment in the Co-op. We’ll talk about how the Co-op works, how owners participate, and how you can save money and eat healthy while shopping at the Co-op. RSVP by emailing outreach@foodconspiracy.coop or calling (520) 624 -4821.
Owner Days of Summer Friday. August 4 - Sunday, August 6 All Food Conspiracy owners receive 10% off. Maximum discount is 10%. Does not include special orders, gift cards or classes. (See store or see ad on page 7 for details).
SONORAN DESERT SERIES
Food Conspiracy is hosting monthly Sonoran Desert Series classes that introduce the Sonoran Desert and present the main native edible plants that make up the food palette--from trees to cactus to berries and more. The series ends with preparing and sampling desert foods and each class features a seasonal snack! Presesnted by Desert Harvesters. *Berries, Seeds, Green, Herbs & Flowers with Jill Lorenzini Monday, July 24 • 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Lesser known than the bean trees and cactus foods, berries, greens, herbs, and flowers add unique flavors, textures, and health benefits to your diet. Wolfberry, hackberry, and canyon hackberry offer sweet and bittersweet treats. Summer and winter greens and herbs (mustard, Lambs Quarter, chickweed, malva, peppergrass, verdolagas, amaranth, aloysia, etc), and seasonal flowers (desert willow, chuparosa, palo verde, ironwood, ocotillo, etc) provide pungent and colorful additions to foods, and seeds (chia, amaranth, panic grass, plantago, etc) add crunchy protein and visual interest. All will be up for discussion. Try verdolagas salsa with seasonal ingredients. Cost: $10 *Resources for Regeneration with Jill Lorenzini Monday, September 25• 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Recommended reading, books to look at, local and regional partner organizations, sharing, ideas, brainstorming, Desert Dreams DVD. Sample mesquite chocolate chili sauce with fruit (see review of Desert Dreams DVD on page 16). Cost: $10
*How to Localize Your Food with Jill Lorenzini Monday, October 16 • 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. We have many choices when it comes to feeding ourselves--–for now. Inventory these choices and understand the benefits, embodied energy, and consequences of your food choices. Native perennial wild foods, traditional native cultivated crops, heritage foods, locally grown crops, regional foods, local seeds and plant starts, local soil amendments, etc. Explore the richness of edges and adjacencies: Sky Islands, Sonora MX, Baja, CO River Plateau and other SD subdivisions, Mojave Desert, Chihuahuan Desert, Gulf of CA. Cost: $10 *Using Sonoran Desert with Jill Lorenzini Monday, November 20 • 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Sonoran Desert foods, like the place they grow and thrive, are potent, pungent, and unique. Usually a little goes a long way. In this class we will review Uplands AZ native foods palette, guidelines, seasonality, harvesting ethics, and best storage practices. Then we will prepare and sample a feast of desert foods! Series wrap-up, 3
A life-long educator, Laura brings critical organizational, administrative, and management skills to the Co-op and is actively engaged in the Food Conspiracy and greater Tucson community. Kevin is currently the Director of Information at United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, and he brings a wealth of skills and knowledge to his new position with us. Both are longtime Tucson residents and passionate FCC supporters. We are fortunate to have them on board! Read more about these individuals and their commitment to the Co-op in their own words.
2. What strengths, skills or expertise will you bring to the Board? 42 years of micro-managing 12-40 special needs students and elementary students has taught me exceptional organization skills, administration skills, and management skills. I have research and development skills in creating educational programs from conception to implementation. My love for learning keeps me open to new ideas. 3. If you can find healthy, organic food at another grocery store, why choose Food Conspiracy? The FC gives back to its owners and to the community by promoting sustainability, supporting local organic farming, and teaching healthy alternatives. Its values are evident in its friendly, helpful shopping environment. 4. Which of the 10 cooperative values resonate with you the most and why? I resonate with all the cooperative values, but caring for others stands out most. The FC cares about the well-being of its owners and the community, providing healthy food, teaching cooperative values through member ownership, promoting environmental responsibility through education, and helping others in the community. (continued on page 5)
Laura: I joined the Food Conspiracy Co-op at its inception, ordering Thursday and receiving on Saturday behind the store. I have led a life of service helping children and adolescents learn. If I saw a need during my travels to different school districts, I researched and created a program to help the children in that community. As an avid wilderness backpacker in my 20’s and 30’s, I felt compelled when living in Sedona to help start a Sierra Club, in order to gather information and organize people to write position papers on preserving open space. Even though I love exploring, my path always led me back to Tucson, which I consider my home. Currently I am involved in community service helping refugee families and also serve as a precinct committee person for Legislative Disctrict 9. I have always loved the FC and want to see it grow, promote sustainability, and continue to provide healthy organic food 4
The next Board meetings are: wednesday, august 2 wednesday, september 6 wednesday, october 4 There is no Board meeting in July. Communicate with the Board via email board@foodconspiracy.coop
On the Cover Cover art for this issue of Conspiracy News is by Kim Kanoa Duffek. You can view Kim’s work at www.natureartists.com/kim_duffek.asp We are seeking original art or photography for the next issue. Deadline is September 1. Theme: Cooperating for Change.
Co-op Ends Statement The Co-op’s purpose is to provide: • Healthy, high quality food and products as locally and sustainably produced as possible. • A thriving, ethical, environmentally conscious and cooperatively owned business. • Education that encourages informed choices about health, food, the environment and cooperatives. • An expanding presence within the community. Co-op Principles 1. Voluntary and open member-ownership. 2. Democratic member-owner control. 3. Member-owner economic participation. 4. Autonomy and independence. 5. Education, training, and information. 6. Cooperation among cooperatives. 7. Concern for community. Co-op principles were first stated by the Rochdale pioneers in 1844. The cooperative principles are guidelines by which we put our values into practice.
I am happy to introduce our two newest Board members. Laura Klass and Kevin Hendricks were appointed to the Board in April and May, respectively, to fill two vacant seats on the Board. Kevin and Laura complete what I consider to be an exceptionally competent, innovative and committed Board of Directors, ready and able to lead the Food Conspiracy forward.
1 .What motivates you to be involved with the Co-op Board? The FC is an integral part of sustainable Tucson. It provides healthy organic food and products. It gives its owners a sense of belonging to a socially responsible community. I want to share my skills in education, organizing, and networking to take the FC to a new level of service.
Food Conspiracy Values 1. We adhere to the internationally recognized Rochdale Principles for co-operatives. 2. We promote whole, natural, organic, and chemical-free products with minimal packaging. 3. We value openness, honesty, and integrity with each other and the community. 4. We seek, through cooperative effort, to provide a humane, fulfilling environment in which to work and shop. 5. We promote social justice by encouraging and respecting diversity. 6. We strive for a sustainable, healthy ecology through use of clean, renewable resources.
and education to the Tucson Community.
Michael DeSantis, Board Pesident
Statement of Cooperative Identity A cooperative is an autonomous association of people united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.
Board Report Summer 2017
Kevin: When I moved to Tucson in November 2008 from Washington DC, one of the first things I did was to seek out where I could find organic, non-GMO, affordable, locally-sourced food. My pursuit led me to the Co-op and I have been a member ever since. While I do feel that it is a good thing that there are more options for purchasing organic foods in Tucson, the Co-op has remained the best option for community-supported healthy and local food. I love being out in nature in southern Arizona and appreciate the strong, connected community in Tucson that cares about its environment, culture, and heritage—and the Food Conspiracy Co-op embodies these ideals. 1. What motivates you to be involved with the Co-op Board? I feel that organizations like the Food Conspiracy-Coop are part of what makes Tucson a strong and vibrant community by providing a place for people to connect around issues they care about and to share resources. 2. What strengths, skills, or expertise will you bring to the Board? My career as a technologist over the past 15 years has developed primarily because I like to help people. I have an affinity for the idea of leveraging technology resources to provide for the strengthening of communities and equalizing opportunity for everyone in our community. Technology resources have become an increasingly integral component to the various functions of a successful organization or initiative. I have had the opportunity to be challenged with understanding the missions and objectives of the various organizations and projects I have supported. I enjoy problem solving by seeking to empower people and great ideas by identifying opportunities and aligning resources to make great things happen that might have otherwise seemed impossible. 3. If you can find healthy, organic food at another grocery store, why choose Food Conspiracy? Shopping at the Co-op provides economic and cultural benefits by supporting local producers and businesses that support quality local products and services. More of the money spent stays in the local community to sustain a strong local economy, and the local community has more influence over the means and methods of production. 4. Which of the 10 cooperative values resonate with you the most and why? The principle that resonates with me most is Concern for Community. I believe that care and concern is of prevailing importance to inform our passions and how we are motivated to collaborate and co-operate with others for mutually beneficial outcomes. The synergy that results strengthens the community by providing benefits that are greater than the sum of what each of us could accomplish on our own. ■
The July Round Up is for People for the Prevention of Cruelty and Neglect, Inc., an organization that is dedicated to the welfare and protection of all animals. For the past twenty years they have been helping pet owners with all or part of their veterinary bills for their sick and injured animals. They also provide financial assistance with spaying and neutering and vaccinations for animals whose owners cannot afford it. This unique animal welfare organization is located in Tucson and helps dogs, cats, horses, pigs and other animals and numerous animal organizations. Round Up in September is for Local First Arizona Foundation (LFAF), the 501c3 non profit sister organization of Local First Arizona. Together creating a movement that has proven results across a wide variety of measureables including youth retention, job creation, and economic gains. LFAF has three areas of focus: Healthy Food Initiatives, Rural Community and Economic Development, and Fuerza Local Business Accelerator. LFA mission seeks to promote, support, and celebrate a vibrant and sustainable Arizona economy by educating citizens about local business ownership and social equity.
GROW GO DRINK COOK BIKE READ
L VE
LOCAL
LIVE EAT LOVE BUY SUPPORT PLAY July 1 - 14 at Food Conspiracy supporting LOCAL has never been easier!
20% off
* Conspiracy Kitchen hot bar & salad bar (includes soups and breakfast items) * Locally grown produce
10% off
* Conspiracy Kitchen grab & go: salads, sandwiches, baked goods, and sandwich bar * Locally made grocery and wellness items 5
foods, herbs & teas
20% off all bulk
all frozen foods
*See store for details
to school essentials*s
20% off select back
sandwiches, baked goods and sandwich bar local grocery & wellness products an
20% off
•
10% off Conspiracy Kitchen grab and go: salads,
all local produce •
JULY 1 - 14
Conspiracy Kitchen hot bar, salad bar (includes soup and breakfast items) •
•
BEAUTIFUL
BULK IS
BACK TO AUG 30SCHOOLL SEPT 13
AUG 16 - 29 JULY 19 FROZEN FOODS FRENZY! - AUG 1
20% off 6
Generally Speaking Eric Lauterbach-Colby, Interim General Manager
The heat of summer has borne fruit quite literally and metaphorically. The triple digit temperatures loom in our desert city on the heels of a critical communitywide reinvestment in the Paris Accord. From the groundswell of 279 City “Climate Mayors” across the country to business leaders, it is imperative that we all raise our voices and speak with our actions to do what is right for our farmers, our community, our planet, and the world. So as I write this article, I am even more conscious of the blessings of changing seasons. At the Co-op, the produce aisle glistens with fresh in-season veggies and magnificent ripe fruit. Moving from temperate spring weather into the long hours of sunlight and blistering summer heat brings my awareness to the cool, refreshing figs and grapes I enjoy as part of my lunch. As I savor these delicious fruits, I’d like to reflect on our cooperative principles and Food Conspiracy’s Ends Statement. As part of our Ends Statement, our purpose is to be a thriving, ethical, environmentally-conscious and cooperatively-owned business. To that end, we asked Cooperative Development Services (CDS) to facilitate a staff survey. This year we had 100% participation—my thanks to our staff! It was very exciting to get the results and to hear from staff regarding what they enjoy about working at the Co-op and how we can improve. One of the results that stood out for me was their desire to learn more about Cooperative Principles and the Food Conspiracy Ends Statement in order to connect everyday operations to the important mission of Food Conspiracy. (The Cooperative Principles & Food Conspiracy Co-op Ends are located on page 4 in this issue). If the fruit of the Co-op is represented by highquality food and organic and local produce, then the Cooperative Principles are the roots and branches of the tree that provide the strength and nourishment of that fruit. The Cooperative Principles have one thing in common—the owners. Owner-members are central to everything we do, which is why we are expanding our owner benefits. Based on owner feedback, the one day summer sales have been extended to three day weekend sales. During Owner Days of Summer (June 2nd-4th, July 7th-9th, & August 4th6th) owners will receive 10% off their purchases.* Owners are essential to the health of the Co-op. They are the uniting force behind the Cooperative Principles and Food Conspiracy End’s Statement authored by the Board of Directors. I encourage you to become an owner and help the community bear fruit. In this issue on page 14, we highlight the Cooperative Community Fund (CCF) and 2016 Round Up recipient, No More Deaths/No Más Muertes, starting on page 8. Looking ahead to the Back to School season, there are two ways that we can support students through the Food Conspiracy Co-op.
Food Conspiracy is a drop-off site for the Youth on Their Own Back to School Challenge. You can also provide cash support direct to local schools with your qualifying purchases in the Box Tops for Education program. These opportunities create exciting ways to make a difference in our community together. Cooperatively, Eric Lauterbach-Colby *see page 3, 7 and 15 for more details or see us in store.
ABOUT NATIONAL CO+OP GROCERS National Co+op Grocers (NCG) is a business services cooperative serving member retail food co-ops throughout the United States. NCG represents 147 food co-ops operating over 200 stores in 38 states with combined annual sales over $2 billion and over 1.3 million consumer-owners. NCG helps unify natural food co-ops in order to optimize operational and marketing resources, strengthen purchasing power, and ultimately offer more value to natural food co-op owners and shoppers everywhere. Check them out at: www.StrongerTogether.Coop
owner DAYS �
Fri July 7 - Sun 9 Fri Aug 4 - Sun 6 owners receive 10% off all purchases max. discount 10%, does not include special orders, gift cards or classes
APP AVAILABLE! for Android and iphone
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WATER IS LIFE:
a letter from No More Deaths photos by Jason Outenreath Dear Food Conspiracy Co-op Members, No More Deaths was founded in 2004 when a coalition of community groups and concerned residents in Tucson came together in response to migrants dying along the US-Mexico border. Our hope was that distributing humanitarian aid, such as food and water, and calling attention to the crisis would lead to its resolution, and No More Deaths would cease to exist. Tragically, the crisis of death and disappearance on the US-Mexico border has continued to worsen since our group’s inception. Though the number of people crossing the border has decreased in recent years, the number of individuals dying in the desert has not. Regardless of the risk of death, assault, illness, robbery, or being incarcerated for years, people migrate to the US for a multitude of reasons—to flee violence, reunite with loved ones, or seek greater educational or economic opportunities. No More Deaths asserts that no one deserves to disappear or die while migrating, and the humanitarian and 8
harm reduction work we do is a direct and urgent response to border enforcement and immigration policies of the US. No More Deaths volunteers work every day of the year from two humanitarian aid base camps in southern Arizona. Volunteers trek long distances into the remote desert, leaving food, water, blankets, and socks on migrant trails, and acting as medical first responders when necessary. In Arivaca, No More Deaths collaborates with People Helping People, supporting residents who are providing humanitarian aid and resisting the militarization in their community. Since December 2016, No More Deaths volunteers have come upon 11 sets of human remains in the wilderness around and south of Ajo. Finding that many remains during such limited exploration of the area is cause for grave concern, and indicative of the harsh terrain and extreme heat of the region. These deaths are attributable to the policy of “Prevention Through Deterrence,” a border enforce-
support No More Deaths’ mission in southern Arizona. Your support is critical—as a volunteer-run, consensus-based organization, we are only as effective as the people and ideas we are able to mobilize. Interested? You can email our volunteer coordinator (volunteer@ nomoredeaths.org), or come to one of our general meetings, which are open to all and take place the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at 7:15 pm in the Knox Room of St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church, located at 3809 E. 3rd St. near Speedway and Alvernon (park in the lot on the south side of the building), or visit www.nomoredeaths.org/ volunteer.■ Learn more about the Cooperative Community Fund on p. 14
ment strategy enacted by Border Patrol that moves migrants away from population centers to remote, mountainous, and dangerous areas where migrants travel. These areas are far from phone service, medical aid, or witnesses. We have been working for several years to increase our search and rescue capacity, wherein volunteers look for people reported missing or those who have made distress calls. The consequences of U.S. border policy and the missing person crisis at the border are elaborated on further in our report series, “The Disappeared.” Part one was released in 2016 and can be found at www. thedisappearedreport.org In Nogales, Mexico, No More Deaths volunteers offer services at Kino Border Initiative’s Migrant Aid Center, serving individuals who have been recently deported or individuals in transit. These services include free secure phone calls, assistance in arranging and receiving money transfers, check-cashing (people are frequently deported with checks that are uncashable in Mexico), and support recovering belongings that weren’t returned by U.S. immigration officials. A Tucson-based working group of No More Deaths called Keep Tucson Together, runs legal clinics, assists individuals in applying for lawful immigration status, and stops deportations. Recently, Keep Tucson Together launched the “People’s Power Campaign, ” which aims to protect families from raids, detention, and deportation by providing legal counsel, “know your rights” information, and materials—you may have seen the bright, bold door signs around town declaring that law enforcement cannot enter homes without a valid search warrant. We are so grateful for the support of Food Conspiracy Coop owners this year—the total amount donated to No More Deaths by the Food Conspiracy Co-op is over $2500. We invite you to get involved in our work! There are a million ways, large and small, to 9
THE ICE CREAM DREAM: ISABELLA’S ICE CREAM by Debbie Weingarten
The first truck, a 1927 Model T, arrived in the back of a pickup truck in pieces. The chassy and hood were rusted out. The 80-year-old wood body had disintegrated. Dominic Johnson arranged the pieces in the driveway in the rough shape of a vehicle, and then called his wife Kristel out to the yard. And that was the beginning of Isabella’s Ice Cream. Dominic Johnson, a professional track and field athlete and three-time pole vault Olympian, had been kicking around the idea of starting an ice cream truck business—the truck would be quintessential and classic, and the ice cream would be made in small batches from whole ingredients. When Dominic retired after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he and Kristel decided it was time to lean toward the ice cream dream. A marketing and public relations professional, Kristel grew up following her mother (a chef) around the kitchen. They cooked and baked, each sibling planning and creating an elaborate family dinner once a week. And so while Dominic rebuilt the truck, Kristel began teaching herself to make ice cream. “I began just literally playing in the kitchen, making ice cream in a 1-quart ice cream maker at home and trying to figure it out.” A year later, Kristel had perfected the recipe, and Dominic had refurbished the truck, even using pieces of the old basketball court of their daughter’s school to rebuild the wooden body. The truck was converted to electric, and solar panels were installed on the roof to run the freezers and lighting system. Named after the couple’s oldest daughter, Isabella’s Ice Cream was born as a mobile food truck business, backboned by a mission of social and environmental responsibility. “Our initial concept was to create both a truck and a product that we would want our daughters to enjoy,” Dominic posted on their website. “We are conscious and super specific about the ingredients we use and the sourcing of them, and we are environmentally conscious about the materials we use,” Kristel says, explaining that they use wooden spoons, paper cups and napkins with foodgrade dyes, and refuse to use any paper products containing adhesive.
we were doing so much wholesale… So many things didn’t feel right.” So the Johnsons pulled away from the distributor and decided to refocus on serving the Tucson community. “But we really didn’t know what was next,” she says. One day on a family bike ride, they rode past a vacant storefront on 4th Avenue. “Look at this shop,” Dominic said to Kristel. “I want to show you this.” And while the family had never envisioned having a brick-and-mortar location, they fell in love. Today the ice cream shop is a bustling addition to the 4th Avenue community. The Johnsons have played with various flavors—lavender vanilla, spicy chocolate, “and some funky stuff for restaurants,” including celery sorbet for Maynard’s Kitchen, kale-apple-ginger ice cream and beet-pineapple-red pepper sorbet for Tasteful Kitchen, and asparagus ice cream for a Casino del Sol event. Each week Kristel makes beer ice cream (using Borderlands beer) for Ermanos. And her Whisky del Bac ice cream is especially popular for wedding receptions and catering events. Kristel says that small businesses like Isabella’s are more aligned with the community. “I mean, we’re in the community. And so we do a lot of giving back.” Each Wednesday, the ice cream truck drives out to a different school. “The kids work in the truck, sell the ice cream, and keep a portion of the proceeds.” For the Johnson family, the future is wide open, but they are happily tied to ice cream. Kristel says, “As a small business owner, we trust our heart. We believe in our product and what we’re doing, and we trust our community. Everything has fallen into place.” ■ You can find Isabella’s Ice Cream in the freezer section of the Food Conspiracy Co-op, as well as other locally-owned establishments, including Time Market, Rincon Market, and the Loft movie theater. You can aldo tour Isabella’s, taste their ice cream and see their electric ice cream truck during Love LOCAL days. See events page for details.
The Food Conspiracy Co-op was the very first store market to stock the ice cream. Isabella’s Ice Cream was still in its infancy, still learning about bar codes and packaging, and the Co-op helped with the learning curve and by providing a retail outlet. As Isabella’s grew, the Co-op remained a faithful purchaser and cheerleader. “We believe not only in being socially responsible with our product and the way we run a business, but also being true and honest with who we are,” says Kristel, explaining that at one point, they distributed through a large distributor and multiple states. She started getting calls from stores she didn’t even know their product was being sold in. “The whole thing was just spreadsheets and numbers,” says Kristel. “We kind of lost focus on what we were doing. We had stopped doing as many catering events, because 10
Isabella’s Friday’s on Fourth deal is $2 off Fro-Nuts all day Fridays.
PUTTING ABILITIES TO WORK by Vanessa Zuber, Director of Employment Services & Workability UCP of Southern AZ Kelly Watters, Outreach + Education Manager If you’ve shopped at the Co-op on weekday mornings during the school year, you may have interacted with Tucson High School students and their coaches. Food Conspiracy has long partnered with Tucson High School to provide community-based learning and vocational opportunities for students in our grocery, front end, and kitchen departments. This commitment to education is an expression of the cooperative principles of concern for community and education, training and information. Because the school-based programming lasts an entire semester, we witness much growth in the students, and we watch as they gain confidence, skills, and valuable work experience outside of their homes. When opportunities for summer positions arise and the school program is able to employ some of these students at that time—a full circle relationship that further integrates students into the cooperative community, builds tangible skills, and allows for earning potential. As an extension of this program, we partnered last summer with WorkAbility, an employment services program of United Cerebral Palsy of Southern Arizona (UCP SA). Students and coaches spend five weeks working in different host sites around Tucson while supplementing their employment experiences with training, classes, and coaching from UPC SA staff. We also partnered with WorkAbility and Intermountain Academy for a spring intercession program where six students and two coaches assisted the Co-op with much needed deep cleaning of the grocery shelves. This summer we welcome back the WorkAbility program and will be hosting two groups of five students for five weeks in June. WorkAbility is dedicated to teaching and preparing people with disabilities for competitive and sustainable work opportunities in the Tucson area. The goal is to provide diverse work environments for potential employees, opportunities for people to experience professional relationships within an employment setting, advocate for people with disabilities to obtain meaningful and sustainable employment, educate businesses and the community on the reasons for hiring people with disabilities, and to encourage all of our members to be self-determined on their employment journeys. WorkAbility has built relationships with a variety of Tucson school systems, businesses, and community partners such as the Food Conspiracy Co-op in order to provide a hands-on experience and exposure to what employment looks like in the grocery field. ■
You can follow along with the WorkAbility students’ employment journey here: http://workabilityucpsa.weebly.com
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Now Sowing
byJustine Hernandez, Pima County Seed Librarian
Tohono O’odham cowpeas photo courtesy of Native Seeds/SEARCH. Edited by Justine Hernandez
Hello, budding seed savers! We hope you accepted our recent challenge to add seed saving to your garden ritual and that your horticultural adventures are starting to bear fruit...or better yet, seeds. Good seed saving practices are integral to the health of our local seed stocks—and healthy seeds are at the root of a vibrant food system—which is why we’re grateful to our friends at Conspiracy News for offering the Pima County Public Library Seed Library this space to share some basic seed saving tips to help the stewardship of our local seed stocks continue to grow. Seeds Unite Us! During the most distinctly desert Southwest gardening period of the year—our monsoon planting season—we’d like to invite you to join us and other gardeners throughout Pima County in planting Tohono O’odham cowpeas (U’us Mu:n in Tohono O’odham) as part of the One Seed Pima County community-wide seed saving initiative. One Seed Pima County is an idea born from the One Book, One Community reading campaign (no surprise there, we are librarians, after all), in which communities across the country come together through the reading and discussion of one specially selected book...a pretty wonderful expression of unity, yes? As champions of a strong 12
and biodiverse seed system and connected communities, we envisioned a campaign that would similarly bring us together through the shared experience of growing, learning, and saving seeds from one specially selected regional crop. And so, One Seed Pima County germinated. At harvest time, we hope that One Seed participants will set aside a small portion of their dry, harvested Tohono O’odham cowpeas to be shared back with the Seed Library so it can be joined with the harvests of others—one big community-wide donation that we can all plant from again next monsoon season.
One Seed Pima County will run from the start of the monsoon planting season in late June through the beginning of January, in order to coincide with the planting, growing, and harvesting of the cowpeas.
*Shout out to Native Seeds/SEARCH for their mentorship and knowledge sharing over the years, which has helped us refresh and hone our junior-high plant botany!
Tohono O’odham cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) were chosen as this year’s One Seed for their heat and drought resistance, history and connection to the people and soil of the Southwest, culinary flexibility, and the fact that the seeds are super easy to save. But we’ll admit, we were also taken with their exquisite black and white mottled seed coat.
Planting Tohono O’odham cowpeas are self-pollinating, so if you’re only planting this one variety of Vigna unguiculata in your garden, you don’t have to worry about possible cross-pollination. If you decide to plant Tohono O’odham cowpeas with other varieties of Vigna unguiculata, you will want to be sure to make some efforts to prevent cross-pollination with approaches such as:
Grab your packet of Tohono O’odham cowpeas and let’s start sowing! A Quick Botany Pitstop Tohono O’odham cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) are not actually peas. They’re in the bean family (Fabaceae), but are a different genus than many of the other kinds of beans that find their way in our summer gardens, such as pinto or pole bean-types of “common” beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) or the desert-hearty tepary bean varieties (Phaseolus acutifolius). Within the genus Vigna there are several species, which can further be broken down into variety (or cultivar). Tohono O’odham cowpeas are just one variety/cultivar within the species unguiculata. These are not always easy relationships to grasp at first, but they are important to pay attention to if you’re planning to be a seed saver. The most important classification to note is species; if you’re planting two things of the same species, they can cross-pollinate if precautions aren’t taken (for example: Tohono O’odham cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) and a variety like the Purple-Podded asparagus bean (Vigna unguiculata) will cross-pollinate if flowering close together). genus = Vigna species = unguiculata variety/cultivar = Tohono O’odham cowpea
Keep varieties separated in your garden by 20-50 feet Stagger your planting times so that each variety is flowering at different times Use pollination bags to prevent unwanted pollination Harvesting Tohono O’odham cowpeas can be harvested and enjoyed in the immature stage and eaten as a green bean. For dry bean collection and seed saving, allow the pods to mature fully and turn yellowish-brown on the vine. If left too long on the vine, the pod of the cowpea will shatter (break open) and send your dried cowpeas flying all over your garden, helping the plant reseed itself for the next season. Assuming you want to collect your beans, you’ll want to keep a daily close eye on your maturing plants to help you catch them just before that fateful “pop!” Storage Dry, dark, and cool. Let these three words be part of your seed saving mantra. To preserve the longevity of your saved seeds, make sure your seeds are perfectly dry before storing. Store completely dry seeds in an envelope, baggie, or jar in a cool, dark, and dry space. Your Tools A sage seed saver is well armed with: • Garden journal to help her remember what she planted, where she planted, and when she planted • Masking tape to tag plants whose flowers were protected from cross-pollination • Pollination bags to prevent unwanted plant sex (aka crosspollination). These can be hand-sewn from mesh-like fabric scraps found at the fabric store, but you can also find them at Native Seeds/SEARCH or online. • Seed saving resources (the library has many wonderful and easy to follow seed saving books for you to check-out)
“To see things in the seed, that is genius.” —Lao Tzu NOW SOWING continued on page 14
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Dig Deeper Check out the library’s calendar of events for special One Seed Pima County programs and workshops now through the new year. For those wanting to really dig in to southern Arizona’s rich agriCultural biodiversity, we recommend these inspiring reads, which are available to check out from the Pima County Public Library:
BUILDING A COOPERATIVE ECONOMY:
GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE CAMPAIGN Over fifty three years of building cooperatives!
From I’itoi’s Garden: Tohono O’odham Food Traditions by Tohono O’odham Community Action Cultural Memory and Biodiversity by Virginia Nazarea Seeds of Resistance, Seeds of Hope: Place and Agency in the Conservation of Biodiversity by Virginia D. Nazarea, Robert E Rhoades, Jenna Andrews-Swann Gathering: Memoir of A Seed Saver by Diane Ott Whealy Botany in A Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification: An Herbal Field Guide to Plant Families of North America by Thomas J.Elpel ■
Editor’s note: Cow peas, while not the Tohono O’odham variety, are the cover crop (also called green manure) that we grow in the monsoon season at Conspiracy Garden. Cover crops are grown for their soil health enhancing qualities. Cover crops also suppress weeds and help control pests and diseases. Additionally, cover crops require only basic care to thrive and allow us to scale back our labor during the summer months and save additional resources like water.
We’re searching for writers, reporters, and photographers for the next issue of Conspiracy News. The theme is “Cooperating for Change” and submissions are due by September 1. Email newsletter@foodconspiracy.coop with ideas or suggestions. Food Conspiracy member-owners who participate in the newsletter can qualify for a shopping discount.
Food Conspiracy is part of the Give Where You Live Campaign, a national effort to support food cooperatives across the U.S. in building local Cooperative Community Funds. Since the Food Conspiracy established our Cooperative Community Fund (CCF) in 2001, it has grown to nearly $64,000, which is invested along with CCFs from 45 other co-ops across the country. The interest generated from our investment is returned to our own community, and has allowed Food Conspiracy to donate $19,500 to 51 Tucson nonprofit organizations since the incetion of the CCF. Food Conspiracy’s CCF keeps growing as owners donate patronage dividends or ask to “round up” purchases during every other month that we do not have a local “round up” recipient. The development of Cooperative Community Funds essentially creates a national cooperative economy and an alternative ethics-based way to invest, earn, and donate money to communities across the country. We look forward to sharing more about how Food Conspiracy is part of the national CCF movement in our Fall issue of Conspiracy News. ■
HOT DAYS: COOL DRINKS
compiled by Kelly Watters, Education + Outreach Manager
VEGAN COCONUT THAI ICED TEA
Bring the following list of ingredients to a boil: INGREDIENTS 5 cups water 6 star anise pods 1/2 tsp ground tumeric 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; add 1 - 1/2 tsp loose ceylon tea. Steep 10 minutes; strain and let cool completely. For each serving, pour over ice; stir in sweetened condensed coconut milk to taste. Serves 8.
You can find all of these ingredients a the Co-op!
Expires 8/15/17
Source: Martha Stewart Living, May 2017. 14
COCONUT WATER & LIME RICKEY
ICED COLD MATCHA TEA
Serves 2 A traditional highball drink that’s very low in sugar, it’s also incredibly popular at soda fountains sans alcohol. The lime and bitters are a great pairing with the naturally sweet coconut water. I adjusted the recipe to be optional stevia and not optional on the bitters. Depends on your taste. I use homemade bitters but Angostura works fine.
Ready to go in 30 seconds flat 2 tsp of matcha powder fresh filtered water ice cubes
INGREDIENTS 1 cup chilled coconut water 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 2 to 4 drops liquid stevia (optional) 3 drops bitters 1/2 cup club soda or sparkling water PREPARATION In a jar, stir or shake together the coconut water, lime juice, optional stevia, and bitters. Divide the mixture between two glasses, then fill each glass with 1/4 cup or more club soda and serve. Source: Epicurious.com
OPTIONAL Try adding ginger or slices of lime for a tart finish Add brewed stevia, agave nectar or honey for sweetness Scoop two almond shaped tea scoops into a martini shaker Fill with ice and fresh filtered water or scoop two almond shaped tea scoops into a jar with your favorite milk and shake Pour over ice into a chilled glass and enjoy immediately TIPS & SUGGESTIONS Matcha tea does not technically “dissolve” but rather “suspends” in liquid. After a while, the tea will float to the bottom and your brew will separate with a green pond at the bottom of your glass. The brew is still good. Just stir to refresh your drink. Use best quality water and ice-cubes available. Source: www.matchasource.com HOT DAYS: COOL DRINKS continued on page 19
OWNER DAYS & DEALS
of s u m m e r
Owner days and deals are benefits for Food Conspiracy owners. Not an owner yet? Join during Owner Days and get a $10 Co-op gift card and reuseable shopping bag.
JULY
10% added to Co-op Gift Card* Co-op
*one purchase only in July. $5 on $50 gift card purchase or $10 on $100 purchase.
Fri July 7 - Sun July 9 owner 10% off all purchases .
DAYS AUG
Maximum discount 10% Does not include special orders, gift cards or classes. See store for details.
10% added to Co-op Gift Card* Co-op
*one purchase only in August. $5 on $50 gift card purchase or $10 on $100 purchase.
owner 10% off all purchases Fri Aug 4 - Sun Aug 6
DAYS SEPT
Maximum discount 10% . Does not include special orders, gift cards or classes. See store for details.
10% added to Co-op Gift Card* Co-op
*one purchase only in Sept. $5 on $50 gift card purchase or $10 on $100 purchase.
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An Antigone Books Review: Tucson is Abloom with Authors By Kate Stern, Antigone Books
Local Classics
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Sonoran Desert: A Literary Field Guide ed. by Eric Magrane and Chris Cokinos A collection of poetry, illustrations, stories, and facts, The Sonoran Desert: A Literary Field Guide captures the beautiful biodiversity this land has to offer. This book feeds both the mind and soul in revealing the desert’s most blatant and hidden gems.
Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams “The plights of Joy Williams’s characters are often inextricably linked to where they live -- be it Florida, the New England coast, or right here in the Sonoran Desert. Her stories are hilarious, heartbreaking, and, simply put, masterful. We are lucky in Tucson to rank her among the voices representing our home and our literary legacy.”- Morgan Miller, Bookseller
High Tides in Tucson by Barbara Kingsolver Although Barbara Kingsolver no longer lives in Tucson, her work remains a local treasure. I read this collection of essays right before moving to Tucson. To this day, when I stroll in my neighborhood at night and look into all of the lighted windows, I imagine a city of writers, at home in Tucson.
La Calle by Lydia Otero La Calle is a powerful analysis of urban renewal and displacement in Tucson. The book explores history, space, and place as it pertains to a larger cultural, political, and socio-economic context. Otero’s examination of Southwestern urbanity resonates with Jane Jacobs’s seminal text The Death and Life of the Great American Cities.
The Desert Smells Like Rain by Gary Nabhan “A fabulous introduction to the Sonoran Desert.”-Trudy Mills, Owner of Antigone Books
Desert Voices by Byrd Baylor Byrd’s words are poetry. Set among the backdrop of Peter Parnall’s exquisite illustrations, she describes the thoughts and habits of the Sonoran Desert’s most loved creatures. A legendary children’s classic that speaks to us all.
Desert Dreams by Wild Horizons This visual compilation, accompanied only by an instrumental soundtrack, exhibits the Sonoran Desert’s most exotic creatures, landforms, and weather. This film is at once soothing and wild. (This film is a featured resource in the Sonoran Desert Series class in September.)
Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko In this monumental novel, the modern drug trade clashes with Native American traditions. Set in Tucson, the present-day life of Seese merges with history when she meets Lecha, a psychic transcribing the ancient Almanac of the Dead. Silko’s story is timeless, making this book one to be read and referenced again and again.
Antigone’s Fridays on Fourth deal is 10% off all Staff Favorite Books. From 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. every Friday.
Source: FairWorldProject.org 17
EVERYONE SALES EVERYONE CAN SHOP. ANYONE CAN JOIN.
20% off • JULY 1 - 14
10% off
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Conspiracy Kitchen hot bar & salad bar (includes soup and breakfast items) • all locally grown produce
• Conspiracy Kitchen grab & go: salads, sandwiches, baked goods and sandwich bar • Locally made grocery and wellness items
FROZEN FOODS
JULY 19AUG 1
20% off all frozen foods
AUG 16 - 29
20% off select back to school essentials*
AUG 30SEPT 19
20% off all bulk foods, herbs & teas
FRENZY!
*See store for details
sale items are available while supplies last
BACK TO SCHOOL
BULK IS
BEAUTIFUL
BOARD AND STAFF WELCOME NEW GM by Michael DeSantis, Board President
The Food Conspiracy has a new General Manager! Chris Curro started work on June 26, 2017. Chris comes to us from the Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market, a thriving Co-op on Main Street in downtown Gloversville, NY. Chris moved to Tucson just as the Food Conspiracy began its general manager search process and was by far the best qualified candidate – a happy coincidence for all. Chris is a skilled and innovative manager, passionate about cooperative values and collaboration throughout our organization. He’s committed to full engagement with our community, from our loyal FCC members, customers and staff to our downtown neighbors, local suppliers and partner organizations. Combining Chris’ considerable strengths with those of our experienced, effective and hard working Board of Directors bodes well for the Food Conspiracy’s future. Chris is very warm and approachable, so introduce yourself and get to know him! We will have a full introduction to Chris in the fall issue of Conspiracy News.
HOT DAYS: COOL DRINKS FAYE’S ROSE HIP SUN TEA Makes 1 gallon of tea Sun tea not only captures the intense heat of the desert sun but also captures all of the nutritional benefits in the rose hips since boiling water destroys the vitamin C properties. Rose hips contain the seeds of the rose plant. A tea made from hibiscus and rose hips may lower blood pressure, support your immune system and is very refreshing on hot days. This recipe combines Andrea’s Mother Faye’s receipe with Kirsten’s Kitchen to Yours Blog Hibiscus and Rosehip Sun Tea recipe. Faye’s original recipe uses apple juice as a sweetener, lemon and fresh mint. Alternatively, honey can be used instead of apple juice and you can add optional hisbiscus flowers. INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup dried rosehips 1 gallon filtered water 1 Tblsp dried hibiscus flowers (optional) about 5 cups (or 1/3 gallon) of Santa Cruz Organic Apple Juice OR 1/4-1/2 cup local honey (depending how sweet you like it) 1 lemon, quartered and juiced fresh mint leaves PREPARATION Place the rose hips and optional hibiscus in a gallon jar with 1 gallon of filtered water. Place in a sunny spot covered for at least 6 hours. Allow it to sit for at least 24 hours indoors or out. Strain and add apple juice and lemon or honey to taste. Garnish with freh mint leaves. Enjoy over ice.
Source: kirstenlindquist.blogspot.com
“Sun Tea Jar” by All Things Michigan is licensed under CC BY 2.0 19
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TUCSON, AZ PERMIT #541
FRIDAYS ON FOURTH: EVERY FRIDAY ON FOURTH AVENUE
Save on dinning, shopping, and entertainment from merchants up and down the Avenue
Food Conspiracy has been involved in Fourth Avenue Merchants Association’s rebranding of Historic Fourth Avenue. There are new lightpole banners, new custom made trash bins, streetscape assessment and design, new fun events in the pipeline and the Fridays on Fourth campagin. Every Friday you can create a new adventure on Fourth Avenue. Participating merchants are offering deals every week. Visit fridaysonfourth.com to sign up for notifications and get the scoop on all of the deals. Currently at Food Conspiracy get a 7 pack of beer (or wine) for the price of a 6 pack AND get a FREE Co-op koozie with your purchase every Friday!
IN THIS ISSUE 02 From the Back of the Editor’s Mind 03 Co-op Events and Classes 06 Generally Speaking 08 Water is Life: A Letter from No More Deaths 12 Now Sowing 16 An Antigone Books Review: Tucson is Abloom with Authors
412 N. Fourth Avenue Tucson, AZ 85705 www.foodconspiracy.coop